This is what's so infuriating about all you direction brained zealots. Yes! Of course Hamas has to bear some responsibility for what's happening in Gaza. I've written several articles criticising Hamas. And in the comments of those, I was called a Zionist and a racist and a coloniser supporter by people who were just as hysterical and reactionary as you.

The Palestinians cannot release the hostages because they didn't take any hostages. It is the height of idiocy to blame two million people for the actions of the terrorist regime running their country. This, topically enough, is why I don't blame Israelis, or Jews in general, for what Netanyahu and Co. are doing.

Terrorists don't tend to follow international law or listen to the UN. So while I'd love to be able to tell Hamas to release the hostages (those who are still alive after the IDF shot 3 of them and have killed who knows how many more with their relentless bombing), that's not likely to make much difference.

You know what's also not going to make a difference? Killing Palestinian children. Hamas aren't going to release the hostages because Israel killed tens of thousands of Palestinians This slaughter exerts absolutely no pressure on Hamas. It just kills innocent people.

So while I'm happy to condemn Hamas in whatever terms you would like me to, I place a significant portion of the blame for the deaths of all those innocent Palestinians on THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DROPPING THE BOMBS ON THEM. The people who are gunning them down in the streets while the have their hands waved and are waving white flags. The people high-fiving each other as they brag about killing elderly, unarmed, surrendering men.

It will please you to know I apply this standard to everyone.